bbc英语新闻原文-英语爱好者必读-2023修改整理

千里之行，始于足下让知识带有温度。第第2页/共2页精品文档推荐bbc英语新闻原文——英语爱好者必读

BBCLearningEnglishTheEnglishWeSpeak3rdMay2022-gate

TheEnglishWeSpeak?BritishBroadcastingCorporation2022

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William:Hello,I'mWilliamKremerandthisisTheEnglishWeSpeak.

WangFei:Hithere.I'mWangFei.

William:So,WangFei,todayis3May.

WangFei:Yes.

William:Doyouknowwhat3Mayis?

WangFei:Hmm…aTuesday?

William:Yes,it'saTuesday,butit'snotjustanyTuesday.TodayisWorldPress

FreedomDay.ThisisthedaythattheUnitedNationshaschosentohighlighttheimportanceofafreepressaroundtheworld.

WangFei:Afreepress.So,newspapersthatarefreetowriteanythingtheythinkthepublicneedtoknowandTVnewsthatcanreportanything?

William:Yestheycanreportanything,includingthingsthatlookbadforthegovernment!Scandals.

WangFei:Ascandal,sosomethingverybadthatdamagessomeone'sreputation.

William:Exactly.AndoneofthemostfamousscandalsfromAmericanhistoryistheWatergatescandaloftheearly1970s.

WangFei:Watergate…thatwaswhyPresidentNixonhadtoresignwasn'tit?

William:

Exactly,yes,becausehewasshowntohaveliedtotheAmericanpeopleandbasicallyobstructedthecourseofjustice.ThewholethingstartedwhenfivemenwerearrestedforbreakingintoanofficeblockcalledWatergate.ThiswaswheretheDemocraticPartyhadtheirheadquarters.Lateron,themenwerelinkedtothecampaigntore-electPresidentNixon,whowasintheRepublicanParty.

WangFei:Well,thisisveryinterestingbutwhathasitgottodowithTheEnglishWeSpeak,William?

William:Well,becauseWatergatewassuchamassivescandal,WangFei,theword-gateisnowsometimesusedasasuffixtosuggestthatsomethingisa

scandal.So,togiveyouanexamplefromlastyear,whenGordonBrown

wastryingtogetre-electedasBritishPrimeMinister,hewasoverheard

callinganoldladya"bigot"–averystrongwordforsomebodywhois

intolerantandclose-minded.Anyway,thiswasabigscandalanditcame

tobeknowninthemediaas'bigotgate'.

WangFei:Bigotgate.Thatsoundsalmostalittlebitfunny.

William:Yes,you'reright.Ithinkusing-gateontheendofawordcanmakeitseemalittlehumorous.Thisterm-gateisusedmoreintheUSA,butanotherrecent

examplefromtheUKis'Climategate'–thatwaswhensomeemailsandother

documentsfromauniversityinEnglandledtopeopleaskingquestionsabout

thewaythatscientistsresearchedclimatechange.Climategate.

WangFei:So,canweuse–gateinnormalEnglishconversationtoo?

William:Yes,youcan–ifyouwanttomakeajoke.Listentothis:

ManA:HaveyouseenMarkrecently?

ManB:Mark–hehasn'tspokentomesincebeergate!

ManA:Beergate?Whatdoyoumean?

ManB:WehadabigargumentbecauseIsaidMarkneverboughtaroundofbeerinthepub!Hegotveryupsetandwenthome.

WangFei:Sointhatexample,thespeakercoinedthewordbeergatetodescribeanargumentaboutpayingforbeer!

William:Yeah,whichisobviouslyverysilly.Butofcourse,thissuffix-gateisusedinveryserioussituationstoo.Anditwasthankstomembersofthefreepress,

includingtheWashingtonPostjournalistsBobWoodwardandCarl

Bernstein,thatthepubliccametoknowaboutWatergate.

WangFei:Yes.CheckourwebsitethisweekformoreinformationandlearningEnglishprog